Boosting Nutritional Proficiency of Oyster Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus (Agaricomycetes): A Selenium and Zinc Fortification Exploration

The present study was aimed at evaluating the nutritional characteristics of bio-enriched oyster mushrooms. Cereal, leguminous and oilseed waste was used as substrates. Rice, soybean and mustard straw performed the best among all substrate fortified by adding Se and Zn salts individually and in combination at three different doses (25, 50 and 75 mg/kg) for nutrient analysis. The results showed that highest carbohydrate, 54.01 percent and protein content, 29.41 percent after fortification with Se and Zn at 75 mg/kg as compared to other doses on different substrates. Se at 75 mg/kg gave maximum carbohydrate (60.29%) and protein content (32.32%) in soybean straw while Zn supplementation at 50 mg/kg resulted in high fat content (2.74%) while rice straw had maximum fiber content (18.12%). Based on maximum yield, best dose of both the salts (25 mg/ kg of substrate) were combined and evaluated. The results indicated that soybean straw had the highest nutrient contents having 55.00 percent carbohydrate and 27.72 percent protein content. It was concluded that fortification with selenium and zinc increased the nutritional composition of Pleurotus ostreatus in comparison to control.